Machine for capping bottles



B. L. KINNEY.

MACHINE FOR CAPPING BOTTLES.

Patemml aw M, 1921.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25; 1918.

B. B.- KINNEYI.

MACHINE FOR CAPPING BOTTLES.

APPLICATION man JAN. 25. 1918.

Patented May 10, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ,1 iv. a

PATENT FFICE.

BENJIN I4. KINNEY, OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR @F DIVE-HALF T0 OSCAR 5B- CORNISH, OF FORT ATKINSON, "WISCONSIN.

MACHINE FOR GAPPING BOTTLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May Ml, 19210 Application filed January 25, 1918. Serial No. 213,8,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN L, KINNEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Janesville, in the county of Rock and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Capping Bottles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for closing the tops of bottles used as containers for milk, cream and the like, and one of the objects of my invention is to construct a device that will not extend horizontally beyond the space occupied by the bottom of a bottle plus one half the thickness of the partitions of the case in which they are placed, to the end that the capping of an entire case at one operation may be edected if desired.

A further object is to provide means whereby the cap is placed in the bottle with that side up that was up when the cap Was placed in the magazine of the capping machine.

A further object is to eliminate springs and uncertain movements from the device and, generally, to simplify the construction and operation thereof.

A further object is to provide a hollow plunger which guides the cap from the magazine to the bottle and which serves to press it into the top of the bottle, and to reduce to the minimum the travel of the cap along the retaining ledge under the magazine and to the bottle, thereby preventing turned up corners on the caps and leaky bottles as a result.

My invention consists generally, in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts whereby the above named objects, together with others that will appear hereinafter, are attainable, and my invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate what I consider, at the present time, to be the best embodiment thereof.

In said drawings:

Figure 1, is a front elevation of a bottle capping machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, is a vertical section substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in the position that they occupy when the cap is being forced into the bottle.

Fig. 4, is a detailed plan view of the cap e ector guide.

d ig. 5, is a front elevation of the cap e ector guide; and Fig. 6, is a side elevation thereof.

Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are respectively, a lan v ew, a front elevation, and a side e evation of the cap ejector.

Fig. 10, is a crosssectional detail of the lower part of the cap magazine.

Fig. 11, is a side elevation of the lower part of the cap magazine.

Fig. 12, is a plan view of the cap wei ht; and Fig. 13, is a side elevation thereo The magazine 1, comprises a tube which is outwardly flared at its upper end, and the lower end of the tube is disposed within the cap retaining shelf 19. A slot 32 is provided in the magazine 1, and extends the entire length thereof. Surrounding the magazine will be found a band 18, spaced upwardly from the bottom of the magazine, and which serves to space the magazine properly within the cylindrical casing of the body of the capper. The slot 32, in the magazine serves two purposes; to wit: as a sight opening whereby the number of caps in the magazine can be observed, and also as a guide for the cap weight 4, the cap weight 4:, having a projection 31 which extends into the slot 32. The upper and lower parts of the projection 31 are cut away, as indicated at 31, so that openings are provided which register with the groove 33 in the cap ejector guide 6, at the time when the last cap is ejected from the magazine. In other words, the opening 31, permits free movement of the cap ejector for the purpose of ejecting the last cap. The body of the capper mechanism is formed of two halves; i. 6. divided centrally and vertically, and the upper part 2, is formed in the shape of a hollow cylinder.- Centrally, the body portion takes the form of a hollow box adapted to receive the rectangular cap ejector guide member 6. The extreme lower part 22 constitutes the plunger whereby the caps are forced into the mouth of the bottle. An aperture or slot 21 is provided in the body of the capper, commencing at a point just under the memher 6, and extending to the bottom or'tip of the plunger. The slot 21 is of sullicient size to permit the free passage of caps 15, from the magazine 1, downwardly therethrough. The two parts of the body of the capper are secured together by sultable screws 16 and by the lock nut 10. Screws 17 are also provided for holding the plunger part of the bod together. For convenience in description, shall refer, hereinafter, to the plunger as being that part of the body below the cap ejector.

A c lindrical bell 3, is loosely disposed aroun the plunger and is provided with a mouth adapted to receive the top of the milk bottle. The bell member 3, on one side is provided with a vertical slot 34 and adjacent the upper end thereof will found two spaced lugs 35 between WlllCll the roller 8 is positione being pivotally mounted on the pivot 36, finding its support in the lugs 35. Diametrically opposite, the roller 9 is positioned, being pivotally mounted upon the pivot 37. The roller 9, serves as a guide for the plunger while the roller 8 serves to actuate a lever 7. The lever 7 is substantially, centrally pivoted upon a pivot 17. At its lower end it is provided with an outwardly extending portion adapted to engage the roller 8 when the cylindrical bell 3 is in its lower position. At its upper end the lever 7 is provided with an outwardly extending portion, which the roller 8 engages when the bell 3, is in its upper position. Thus it will be obvious that when the relative movement of the bell 3, and plunger occurs in one direction the lever 7 is swung in one direction, and when it occurs in the opposite direction the lever 7, is swung in the reverse direction. The up r end of the lever 7 is provided with a slot 39 which engages the tongue 40, of the cap ejector 5. The cap ejector 5, is slidably mounted in the cap ejector guide 6. The cap ejector guide 6 1s substantially a rectangular plate provided with a hole 6 which is sli htly larger than one of the bottle caps 15. he member 6 is also provided with a somewhat crescent shaped depression 6" which leaves a shelf on which the bottom part ofthe cap magazine rests.

A longitudinal slot 42 is formed in the shelf 41 of a sizeand shape adapted to accommodate the cap ejector element 5. The cap ejector element 5 projects slightly above the top of the shelf 41 so that it may engage the lowermost cap of the magazine as the ejector element 5 is reciprocated by the mechanism before described. As the ejector element 5 moves inwardly a cap is shifted transversely, as indicated in Fig. 3,- and at the same time the plunger inserts the cap that upon the previous operation was positioned in the constricted part 3 of the centering bell. It is obvious that relative movement of the plunger and centering bell 3 causes the plunger to force the cap into the mouth of the bottle, as is well shown in Fig. 3. As the centering bell 3 is lowered, relative to the plunger, the parts again assume the position shown in Fig. 2, the cap that upon the previous upstroke was removed from the bottom of the magazine, is permitted to fall and take the course downwardly through the central slot 21 somewhat as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, so that when the parts have again resumed the position shown in Fig. 2, a cap will be found in position at the constricted outlet of the centering bell, or head, ready for insertion into the next bottle. The caps are placed in the magazine with the printed face up and when the caps pass downwardly through the slot 21 the blank face of the cap is adjacent the surface 21' of the slot 21 and asthe cap drops from the extreme end of the slot it lands in the constricted outlet 3' with the printed face upward. I

My device, when so desired, can be installed in batteries equal in number to the number of bottles in a delivery case for the reason that the machine is no larger in cross-sectional size than the cross-sectional size of a bottle. It, therefore, becomes possible to associate a number of capping devices in the close relation necessary which cannot be done, except for the novel comcted construction which I have devised.

he entire case of bottles can be capped at one operation by causing relative vertical movement "between the capper on the one hand and the bottles on the other and this, obviously, may be accomplished by either raising the case or by lowering the capping machine. As shown in the drawings, the capping mechanism is supported upon a shalf 12 the bottles being intended to be moved upwardly. A coil spring 12 surrounds the portion 2 of the body of the capper being positioned between the central rectangular rtion and the support or bracket 12 there y adapting the capping mechanism for operation with bottles of different heights.

Inasmuch as this disclosure will suggest to others modified structures whereby the substantial objects and purposesiof my invention can be attained, I do not wish to be limited to the specific construction herein shown and described, except only as may be necessary by limitations in the hereunto appended claims.

claim 1. A bottle capping machine embodying ne'mwe plunger, said centering bell having a central opening constricted at its outlet and thereby adapted to support a cap therein after it passes through the lunger.

3. A bottle capping mac 'ne embodying therein a plunger having a cap passage therethrough, a cap magazine arranged above and in axial alinement with said plunger, a centering bell slidably mounted on said plunger, a rochng lever positioned to receive rocking movement from sliding movement of said bell, and a cap ejector block positioned for reciprocatory movement and operable by said rock lever.

4- A bottle capping machine embodying therein, in axial alinement, a cap magazine,

BENJAMN L. KINNEY.

Witnemes:

J. F. Somnnmnn, N. J. Sommmnn. 

